Greetings!
It’s hard to believe it is September already – but here we are! Families are getting ready for back-to school or back to childcare! We also start September with an exciting Wee Watch milestone – we have 5000+ children in care across Ontario! This is exciting for so many reasons!! First, we are exceptionally proud of our 44 Agencies that work within their communities to find, screen, and train our childcare Providers to ensure there are quality licensed spaces available to parents. Secondly, we have all those children in care because our Providers have chosen the licensed system and Wee Watch in particular to partner with. They open their hearts and their homes and through the amazing care they deliver our Wee Watch family continues to grow! Finally, we have 5000+ children in care because parents value the quality programming and care that we provide for their children! We love the diversity of the children and families in our care and those delivering care across Ontario!
This month our Newsletter will be focused on enjoying all that the fall season has to offer through engaging activities, crafts, and recipes. Additionally, we have a blog and article focused on tips for pandemic-era children and ensuring they are integrating into childcare or school as positively as possible.
At the time of publication, we hoped that we’d have more information for our Wee Watch parents about the Canada Wide Childcare Plan. We can update you that the Ministry of Education has recently extended the application deadline for all agencies and childcare centres to November 1st, 2022, due to a lack of information provided to childcare operators to date. Wee Watch agencies are currently reviewing information and awaiting sample contracts from each region that outline the program and its impacts. As each agency applies and hears about their approval they will communicate directly with parents who qualify for rebates or credits. Rebates will be retroactive to April 2022.
Sincerely,
Lisa Parise
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Learning is Fun with Wee Watch |
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Are Pandemic-Era Children Integrating into Childcare Differently? |
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There is no doubt that the impacts of the pandemic were both positive and negative for many families. The upside was that families spent more time together. Children got more attention from parents and parents were more involved in daily school and recreational time of children, especially during lock-down periods. The downside of more contact as a single-family unit and less ‘outside’ interaction is that it has had an impact on the way children are experiencing their first interactions outside the home in schools and daycare. Educators and Providers with years of experience have noticed that pandemic-era children are fussier in general, need more ‘undivided’ attention and are struggling more than previous cohorts with socialization. A recent USA today article found similar results, with many children who spent their early years in the pandemic are struggling to socialize, sit still, are more shy and difficult in play groups or childcare situations and require a caregiver’s undivided attention than children before the pandemic.
What are parents and childcare professionals do to?
Focus on emotions and helping your child express them. Remember that young children can’t always express themselves through words – showing their emotions is the way they express what they are feeling. For children of the pandemic era, their routines and opportunities for socialization were removed. Helping children understand how to recognize, label, express and regulate their emotions is important. If a child is acting out, hitting another child for example, discover what is behind the behaviour vs focusing on the behaviour itself. Likely, the child is frustrated or upset about something they can’t quite express.
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Every Provider and child has access to our Wee Learn educational curriculum! Wee Learn and all its associated programming was designed by a team of childcare experts to help children meet their developmental milestones and to prepare them for success in school and beyond! Our program is focused on play based learning for all ages and stages!
Try some of these activities which align with our program:
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Wee Beginners (1-2 years):
Wee Explorers (2-3 years):
Wee Builders (3-4 years):
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Wee Learners (4-5 years):
Wee Experts (5-6 years):
Wee Mentors (6+ years):
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Together Wee Can Play, Learn & Grow |
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Each year Wee Watch organizes exclusive and educational events and activities around a theme that all Providers across Ontario participate in called "Together Wee Can".
Wee Watch will be celebrating and promoting literacy all year through our Together Wee Can Program for 2022, “Together Wee Can Read, Learn, & Grow!”. Through this program, we have selected a wonderful book to focus on each month and developed special activities that correspond with the chosen book and theme.
Take a look at what's coming up in our homes...
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During this month we observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, previously known as Orange Shirt Day.
It is important for children to learn about the Indigenous people of Canada and our complete Canadian history. Reading stories that include Indigenous youth and communities ensures that this community is seen and recognized by early learners.
This month we are reading “My Heart Fills with Happiness” a book written and illustrated by Indigenous Canadians.
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For young children, Halloween can be confusing and even scary. Focus on the fun parts of the season and explain that it’s a day when everyone uses their imagination to ‘make believe’ they are something or someone else! Most children love dressing up and pretending to be a character they love, or even be ‘scary’ for the day.
This month we will be reading the book “Pete the Cat: 5 Little Pumpkins” by James Dean, a great way to bring numeracy, literacy, and Halloween together!
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Each month we have a Mystery Reader reading the book of the month. Our Mystery Readers will be featured in our "Wee Talk with Lisa" Live On Facebook and a pre-recorded video of them reading the book will be shared on Facebook and YouTube.
Don't miss our upcoming Facebook Live, on Tuesday September 20th @10am with Monique Gray Smith, the author of this months book "My Heart Fills With Happiness".
LIVE READING: Monique will be Reading "My Heart Fills with Happiness" Live on Facebook, so be sure to gather the children and tune in.
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Cooking with kids isn't just about recipes, it can be a delicious learning experience for everyone! Cooking encourages literacy skills, harnesses imagination, empowerment, and creativity.
Check out this months recipes for kids:
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There is always so much happening in our homes, be sure to check out our slideshow to experience some of the fun & learning.
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Congratulations to our wonderful Providers on their milestone anniversaries!
We thank you for your ongoing commitment to the families in your care, your community, and Wee Watch.
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We have so much to share with you... |
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"At Wee Watch we love celebrating important milestones; from a child’s birthday, children developing new skills, little ones moving on from daycare and beginning school, to Provider Anniversaries. The Wee Watch family has reached a significant milestone, WE ARE NOW 5000 STRONG! That is 5000 children in care in our licensed homes, today and every day.
We are truly honoured and privileged knowing parents of 5000 children have entrusted us with the care of their children. This milestone has been reached through the tremendous efforts of our childcare Providers and Wee Watch agency staff, who are committed to delivering safe, educational, quality care to families in their community. Every child is important to us, and we continue to deliver a system that meets the unique needs of children and families across Ontario."
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"Children love painting, exploring colours, using their imaginations, developing, and expressing their creativity, and maybe even getting a little messy. Imagine their reaction when Sahar set up this amazing outdoor painting experience for the children in her care!
Sahar hung a clear shower curtain in the yard, tied the bottom down, set up paints and brushes and let the children work together to create a masterpiece! What an incredible idea and a great way to expand on an already wonderful activity.
Tip: If you use washable paints, you could reuse the shower curtain all summer."
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6 Tips from Childcare Providers to Reduce Separation...
It's very normal for parents and children to have some level of separation anxiety when a child enters childcare (or is re-entering after a long time away such as during the pandemic or even just after a summer away). Childcare Providers with a...
Read more
www.weewatch.com
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